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Economy of blessings is paramount to my son. Either that or he’s already rejecting religion.

When my wife says, “Bless you,” to our two year-old son after he sneezes, his most common response is, “No bless you. I okay.” At first I thought that he was concerned with the economy of blessings or the implication that he required a blessing when one was clearly not needed. But it occurs to…

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This is real, despite all my instincts telling me otherwise.

The restaurant is real. It’s existence was never in question. It’s located in Staten Island, and people eat there every day. But sometimes you stumble across (or in the case are sent) a video that you have to assume is fake. A parody. An intentionally ridiculous fabrication. Except no. This commercial for Troy restaurant is…

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Men humiliate men. Constantly. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Man who finishes in last place in his fantasy football league is required to make an embarrassing photo calendar that celebrates famous moments in print history, including a recreation of the ESPN: The Magazine Naked Prince Fielder cover and the famous photo of breastfeeding on the cover of TIME.   Brilliant. Also something you would…

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Saddest photos ever taken

First day on the bus. Breaks my heart.   Thankfully, there are these images at the end of the day to not-quite-balance the sadness of the early morning hours.  

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Open a toy. Record. Make a fortune.

My wife made me aware of the inexplicable existence of YouTube videos that feature the removal of toys from their packaging. That’s it. Someone purchases a Transformer or a Barbie Doll or a SpongeBob Squarepants action figure and opens the toy on camera. And millions of people watch.   I can’t imagine who the audience is…

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I went to Maine to officiate a wedding for a couple I had never met, and it wasn’t crazy.

My friends think I’m a little crazy. Three days before the start of my school year, I headed to Maine to officiate the wedding ceremony of a couple who I had never met. The bride is a fan of my novels. We met online a few years ago after she read Something Missing and reached…

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The Louisiana Literacy Test of 1963 is astonishing. Impossibly difficult and truly evil. I think I’ll give it to my students.

The website of the Civil Rights Movement Veterans, which collects materials related to civil rights, posts samples of actual literacy tests used in the South  during the 1950s and 1960s. These tests were designed to prevent African Americans from voting in local elections. They were purposely difficult and confusing, and many times, the questions were…

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Speak Up: Storytelling Workshop launching

We are launching a new advanced storytelling workshop next week, and there are still spots available for those of you who are interested. Details below.______________________________ Our storytelling workshop focuses on the storyteller’s actual performance. You are not required to attend a beginner’s workshop, but please know that much of our direct storytelling instruction takes place…

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